


Inked in the Stars

by ollietwist



Category: The Penderwicks Series - Jeanne Birdsall
Genre: F/M, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24518620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ollietwist/pseuds/ollietwist
Summary: Soulmate AU in which your tattoo appears on your soulmate
Relationships: Jeffrey Tifton/Skye Penderwick, Rosalind Penderwick & Skye Penderwick
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	Inked in the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this like a year and a half ago and then finally finished it. This fic is pure self projection (highlighted by the fact I started writing this after getting my third tattoo and only finishing it after getting two more after that) and what I wished to see. Basically everything through Point Mouette is canon and after that canon flies out the window cause book 4 doesn't really work with this and that's the last book in the series. Enjoy the mess!

The needle pricked her skin as the final touches were made. A little ache was all that remained but her newfound joy allowed her to ignore the pain.

She held her arm out as the plastic was wrapped around.

“Keep the wrap on for about an hour or two then you can take it off. Gently wash it with warm water and soap twice a day and apply unscented lotion. It should be healed in about two weeks. If you need it touched up just come back.”

“Thank you,” she smiled as she walked out of the shop.

She breathed in the warm California air and took in the bright sky.

Newly moved to Santa Cruz, Skye Penderwick had finally gotten her first tattoo. She smiled to herself as she took in the constellation, distorted by the plastic, that was now inked into her arm. It was her little secret.

She had waited the months since her eighteenth birthday to finally get the constellation she loved so much if only to avoid the annoyance of her family. It was a known fact that if you got a tattoo, the image would appear on your soulmate as if they had gotten it themselves. It was a strange idea and many people got tattoos then later fell in love with those around them without concern that they might have a soulmate in the world.

Then there were situations like Rosalind and Tommy. The two of them had dated since they were in eighth grade, but when Tommy had turned seventeen, he pretended to be Nick and gotten a progression of birds on the back of his arm. Rosalind was sitting there on his porch, the first person to greet him when he got home. He smiled to see her until she punched the back of his arm, angry he snuck out to do it and hadn’t told her. Tommy had forgotten that tattoos mirrored onto your soulmate and hadn’t thought of any consequences that it may have had for his relationship with Rosalind. She yelled at him for getting his tattoo done cause what happened if he found out they weren’t meant to be together and there was some other perfect girl out there waiting for him? Wouldn’t that mean it was the end for them?

And for once Tommy had a clear head and asked how in the world she knew he had gotten a tattoo and exactly where it was. Cheeks turning bright red, Rosalind had rolled up her sleeve to reveal the same image on her arm.

The Penderwick family had a good laugh at the events of the day while Tommy got chewed out by his parents. He was too happy to care though.

But that evening’s conversation turned into Jane and Batty speculating what tattoos they would get and what their soulmates would be like. And inevitably they turned their attention to Skye, questions about what her soulmate would be like and how they would be star-crossed lovers like the ones Jane always read about.

Skye shuddered at the idea then and shudders at it now. This tattoo is for herself and herself only. She did not have a soulmate waiting for her somewhere. She wouldn’t see someone post a picture of her tattoo on their body. She wouldn’t run into a matching tattoo on campus or on her morning coffee runs. None of those things would happen because Skye Penderwick most definitely did not have a soulmate.

Jeffery Tifton sat at the piano in the music studio listening as the conductor was isolating the melody from the ensemble.

As he sat there zoning out, he felt a slight sting in his arm. Eyes still focused on the keys in front of him, he rubbed his forearm. Shaking his head to clear it, he placed his fingers on the keys, ready to enter when necessary, when he glanced at his arm and saw the first line.

“Mr. Tifton. Mr. Tifton. Are you with us? You missed your entrance.” Jeffery looked up at the conductor from his arm.

“Sorry sir. I won’t happen again.”

The conductor sighed and they began that piece from the beginning. But as Jeffery played there was no thought as his fingers danced across the keys. His mind was elsewhere, trying to figure out what the line on his arm meant.

Jeffery sat at the desk in his dorm room that evening intently studying his arm trying to figure out what was going on. There were three thin lines on his arm that all seemed to connect to a freckle that was slightly darker than the rest. Where did they come from and what did this mean?

The door to his room opened and in walked his roommate.

“Hey Jeff. What’s up?”

“Hi Drew. Nothing much. And please just call me Jeffery.”

“Okay. Whatever you say.” Drew slumped down onto his bed and looked at Jeffery. “So what are you currently working on this early in the semester?”

Jeffery turned his chair to face the bed and shrugged. “Nothing really. I’m just trying to figure out what these lines on my arm are. They appeared today while I was in my musical ensemble.”

Drew stood up from the bed and walked over to Jeffery. He took his forearm and looked at it for a second. “Did it hurt when it appeared?”

“Yeah kinda. Why?”

“Dude I think you got yourself a soulmate tattoo,” Drew said dropping his arm and flopping back onto the bed.

“A what?”

“A soulmate tattoo? You know that thing girls wouldn’t stop talking about in middle school and crazy stories of people with the same tattoo meeting in weird situations? That’s what you seem to have.”

Jeffery shook his head. “But that can’t be possible. I can’t have a soulmate.”

“Sure you can. Not everyone does but you seem to.”

“No. I can’t. There’s someone else I like and there’s no way on earth she would get a tattoo. She doesn’t believe in soulmates.”

Drew sighed and gave him a pitying look. “Then she’s not your soulmate dude.” He pushed back is hair to reveal a tiny elephant behind his ear. “I got that at the end of my senior year of high school. I was dating this girl at the time and I was really surprised she didn’t tell me she was getting a tattoo. I thought we were meant to be. When I saw her after this little guy appeared, I realized that it wasn’t hers. She had never gotten a tattoo. I never told her that the tattoo appeared and we weren’t soulmates but that didn’t mean we couldn’t still date right? Even if she wasn’t my soulmate, lots of people end up together that aren’t soulmates and they’re happy. Well about a week later I learned that she had been cheating on me for a while. It was a messy fight that ended with me saying I should’ve ended it when I learned we weren’t meant to be together.”

Jeffery blinked. “That was quite the story. Did you find your soulmate?”

Drew shook his head. “No but that wasn’t the point of my story. The point was that even if you think the two of you are meant to be together, that doesn’t mean you are. I think it’s time you accepted that this crush of yours isn’t your soulmate.”

“Okay. But I know her family and her sister’s soulmate is the boy she had been dating since they were in eighth grade.”

Drew sighed and gazed at him as a man who had clearly had his heart broken before. “Do you know how often those instances happen? One in a million. Plus, if that was her sister, what’s the likelihood of it happening again to the same family? Just cut your losses now and get over her.”

Skye never met a soulmate in a coffee shop or in class or at any other location in which she had to be near other people. She could proudly wear t-shirts in the California sun and not worry about pressing questions from her family about soulmates. She could enjoy being a young adult in a college she loved without dealing with any sort romantic situations. To anyone who came up to her attempting to ask her out, she would simply bear her arm and pretend she was waiting for a soulmate she knew didn’t exist.

Her months of perfection were like something out of a dream. And when she awoke it was Thanksgiving in Cameron.

While she was happy to be home and see her family, Skye had to groan at her bittersweet situation of her soccer team not making the final tournament although it did make it available for her to fly back to Massachusetts.

Her long sweaters and hoodies hidden around the house became her go-to attire each day and to anyone who asked why she always wore the same thing, she simply responded she was used to California’s warm weather.

Skye spent her days playing soccer with Jane and her nights looking at the stars with Iantha. She helped Batty understand math and shared her college stories with Rosalind. She played games with Ben and babysat Lydia and spent time around her dad. So while hiding her tattoo was the bane of her existence, Skye couldn’t say she didn’t enjoy her break.

But as Thanksgiving dinner was set at the table and the eating began, her worst nightmare came to life.

“Hey Mom. Did you see Nick got a new tattoo?” Ben paused for a moment from his potatoes to look at Iantha as he mentioned his hero.

Iantha shook her head laughing. “No, I haven’t gotten the chance. What did it look like?”

“Oh! He had this huge, roaring lion on his arm with some other stuff around it.” Ben’s eyes distant as he recalled the artwork that decorated his favorite person. “It went from his shoulder to his elbow. How cool is that?”

“Pretty cool until his soulmate decks him for covering her arm in ridiculous animals,” Jane said making eye contact with Rosalind.

Rosalind rolled her eyes, “If he has a soulmate. I can’t imagine anyone putting up with Nick enough to spend the rest of her life him.”

“You once said that about Tommy.” Rosalind stared red-faced at her plate at her father’s pointed comment.

Skye covered a smirk as she stabbed her green beans, grateful the conversation had ended.

“What’s a soulmate?” Little Lydia was seated between Batty and her mother, looking around the table with wide eyes searching for an answer from anyone.

“It’s the person you’re destined to fall in love with,” sighed Jane with her faraway look. “They are supposed to understand you completely and it’s said your souls are destined to be together.”

“That’s not quite all of it Jane,” Martin Penderwick interjected. “Soulmates are not an exact science and life happens. Sometimes your soulmate is not a good person, or an accident happens and you never meet them.” He looked up at Iantha, a shared look of both grief for their late spouses and love that they had found in each other. He looked back to his youngest daughter, eyes still wide with the new knowledge. “You also have some people who simply don’t have a soulmate. Not everyone falls in love and not everyone has to. Does that make sense Ldys?”

Lydia nodded with wide eyes.

“Are you and Mommy soulmates?”

He looked up at Iantha, a smile on his face. “We’re not sure but that doesn’t matter now does it? Mom and I love each other and want what is best for you. There’s nothing else that is as important as that.”

Lydia nodded earnestly, as though she was thinking deeply as to what her father had said.

She trained her eyes on Rosalind. “Do you have a soulmate?”

Skye nearly choked on her dinner laughing at the stricken look on Rosalind’s face in the seat next to her. Rosalind was turning bright red as the rest of the family turned to look at her grinning.

“Yeah Rosy. Do you have a soulmate?” Jane asked.

Rosalind turned to glare at Jane, who sat on other the side of Skye.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at Lydia who stared at her in earnest curiosity. “Yes. I do.”

“Is it Tommy?” Lydia was bouncing in her seat in excitement. The rest of the family burst out laughing, except for Rosalind who was at a loss for words.

“It certainly is,” said Skye grinning at Rosalind.

“How did you know?” Asked Lydia, oblivious to everyone else in the room.

“He got a tattoo and the mirror image appeared on me,” Rosalind said simply and returned to eating, effectively ending her participation in the conversation. The rest of the family took her cue and began to eat once more.

Skye still smiled, internally laughing at Rosalind’s embarrassment. Well, until Lydia spoke once more, “What about you Skye?”

She stared at her with wide eyes, her question honest from the simple mind of a four-year-old. The rest of the family looked up to Skye gauging how she would react to the littlest Penderwick asking her such a volatile question.

Skye put her fork down and looked at Lydia. “You know how Daddy said that some people don’t have soulmates?” Lydia nodded. “I am one of those people who will never find a soulmate.”

“Skye! You just can’t say that!” Said Jane. “Just because you’ve never gotten a tattoo doesn’t mean you don’t have a soulmate. There’s someone out there for you.”

“No there isn’t.”

“How do you know?” The quiet question rose from Batty.

“Because I’m not a person who gets a soulmate. Other people get them but there is no one in this universe that I am destined to be with. Don’t pity me,” she said to her father and Iantha who looked at her with sad eyes.

“We don’t pity you,” said Iantha. “But I think being so closed off to the idea is not the best for you.”

Skye shrugged. “I’ve accepted it and I’m fine.” She continued to eat, finishing off her dinner as the conversation shifted to less passion filled topics.

Everyone finished their dinner and began to head their separate ways for the evening.

Skye found herself staring up at the sky that she knew so well, finding warmth in her too-big NASA hoodie.

“Room for one more?” Skye turned to see Jane sticking her head out of their window. She shrugged and Jane climbed out of the window to settle down next to her.

Skye went back to staring at the stars once more. Although it was still a bit early, she searched to find the constellation in the sky that dotted her arm.

“Did you mean what you said when there’s no one out there for you?”

Skye turned to look at her sister who had her knees drawn to her chest and was looking not at her, but at some point down below.

Skye sighed and stared back at the sky. “Yes. Soulmates are real but not for me.”

“But how can you be so sure? How can you not even wish for the possibility of love?”

“Jane there’s more to life than love. And love is just not in the cards for me.”

Jane shook her head. “I don’t know how you can say that when there’s still so much life left out there for you. Love can surely be an option for you.”

“No, it’s not. With love comes loss and I can’t bear that loss. Jane, who on earth would be able to put up with me? Soulmates or not, I can’t have a relationship with anyone without pushing them away. Getting romantically attached would kill me Jane. He would leave me.”

She had mirrored Jane’s position but now stared straight ahead. She could see Jane studying her through the corner of her eye.

“Skye, I think you’re just fearing for the worst possible case. There are good people out there in the world and your soulmate would accept you for exactly who you are.”

Skye shook her head. “Even if that was the case, I don’t have a soulmate Jane.”

She pulled the sleeve of her hoodie up, shivering as her bare skin was exposed to the November chill.

Jane’s eyes widened as she took in the ink. “When did you get that?”

“A few weeks after I moved to California. Jane there is no one who has a matching tattoo. I have no soulmate.”

Jane looked at her that suggested she was much wiser beyond her years then sighed. “I guess if you say so. But I think you’ve given up too soon. You have a soulmate, whether you like it or not.”

At that, Jane stood and crawled back through the window leaving Skye alone on the roof with the stars.

Thanksgiving was a drawl per usual.

Jeffery sat there in the too empty dining room with his mother and whatever current boyfriend she had. He had given up on keeping track of them or even learning their names since they would be gone within a few months. This was maybe Thomas? Or Leon? It was some pretentious name.

While dinner was delicious and exactly what a Thanksgiving meal should be, Jeffery dearly wished he was in his father’s cramped Boston apartment eating Kraft Mac and cheese. But he had promised to join his mother so he could be with father come Christmas.

He glanced at his mother who was deep in conversation with the boyfriend of the month about whatever minute political event had taken place.

He knew she had a small tattoo on the inside of her ankle, a testament to the time when she had left home and gotten a tattoo in spite of her stern father’s wishes. But she did not share his father’s treble clef.

He sighed as he remembered the story of two kids in love, ignoring the fact that they were not soulmates and getting married without a second thought. His parents maybe were proof that those who weren’t soulmates shouldn’t be together.

“What do you think Jeffery?”

He shook his head and look at the faces of the adults looking at him.

“Excuse me, but could you repeat that?”

Roland glanced at his mother with a look of _oh children, what can you do?_

“I had asked what your opinions on the pending legislation determining whether or not to allow those under the age of twenty-one the ability to go and receive an inking procedure,” said Spencer.

Jeffery had to try extremely hard to not roll his eyes at the condescending tone. Grabbing his water glass and lifting it to his lips he said, “I don’t see a reason for raising the age to get a tattoo.”

The water hid his smile as Henrich was cut off guard by Jeffery’s casual tone.

Davis quickly composed himself with sigh forming into a small smile, one that people got when they were about to explain to a child everything they thought wasn’t true.

“Yes, but juveniles who have just completed their secondary education are typically not in the best state of mind to be making decisions such as marking their bodies.”

“And what makes you say that? Are you saying you haven’t made any poor decisions since you have attained the ripe old age of forty?”

Richard huffed. “Well I am quite assured that I have formed level-headed decisions more frequently as I have amassed in years as compared to when I was a youth.”

“Obviously the choice to wear that suit tonight was not one of those decisions.”

“Jeffery!” Exclaimed his mother. “I am so sorry about his attitude,” she said to Phillip. “That was uncalled for. Jeffery, apologize.”

He sighed. “I am sorry that you thought that suit jacket matched that tie and for the superiority complex you have created over anyone of youthful age.”

Richard was left floundering, unable to create a coherent response.

Jeffery stood and nodded to his mother. “I will now excuse myself. I hope you enjoy the rest of your meal.” He turned and walked out the dining room not looking back.

“Jeffery. Jeffery! Jeffery Tifton listen to me!”

Abruptly Jeffery lifted his hands from the piano keys he had pounded on for the past hour. He placed his hands in his lap and faced his mother who stood in the doorway.

“Your attitude tonight was uncalled for,” said his mother glaring at him. “Nathaniel felt extremely disrespected and will most likely not be coming back. Are you happy?”

“So that was his name,” Jeffery shrugged. “And does it really matter if he comes back or not?” He turned back to face the piano, as if he were to begin playing once more.

“Jeffery. I am trying very hard to find a man who will make us happy and I cannot do that if you are to be rude to each one that steps through this door.”

Jeffery sighed and faced his mom again. “Mom, none of these guys will make either of us happy, especially if they continue to talk to me as if I was five.”

“Nathaniel did not talk to you as if you were five.”

“Yes, he did. Why bother asking my opinion if he’s simply going to say I’m stupid for thinking that eighteen-year-olds should be able to get tattoos?”

“He was going to say –“

“Yes, he was. Maybe not explicitly but it was heavily implied that I have no clue what I am talking about and he was just doing a courtesy to me by asking my opinion.” He turned back to the piano once again. “Mom, you just need to realize the fact that none of these men will make you happy cause none of them are actually your soulmate.”

“Jeffery you know full well that this soulmate culture is a bunch of baloney,” his mother hissed. “It is all propaganda and faked news headlines making it seem as though people are destined to be together indicated by some ink on skin. I will find someone, and it will not be through a load of fakery. And as soon as you realize that as well, the better off we’ll be.” And with that she turned her heel and shut his door.

Jeffery lost track of how long he sat there at the piano, fingers resting on the keys but not playing. He stared at the dark dots on his forearm and the faint lines connecting them.

“You can say all you want about soulmates not being real, but you have no explanation for this.”

And with that, he softly played his final piece and drifted into sleep.

_Found your soulmate yet?_

Skye rolled her eyes at the text as she sat in the Sacramento airport.

_You’ve asked that every day for a month. NO._

_Maybe you’ll sit next to him during your flight and strike up a wonderful conversation and by the time you land you’ve found out that you were meant to be._

_Jane this is real life and not one of your romance novels. I have no soulmate._

With that Skye set her phone down and took a deep breath. Her phone buzzed with Jane’s response but she didn’t bother to look at it. Since Jane had learned about her tattoo, she was certain Skye had a soulmate waiting around somewhere for her.

Her flight was called to board and Skye put any thought of soulmates out of her head. She was going home for Christmas. No soulmates, just her loving family and stupid traditions. Everything was going to be just fine.

Her plane landed in Boston a few hours later as the day was falling into evening,

Drained from her long flight she trudged her way to the baggage claim. She pulled her duffel bag from the carousel and double-checked her phone as she made her way to the airport entrance.

She found the entryway and stopped to look around.

“Skye!” She turned to the source of the voice.

Long arms wrapped around her and she returned the hug.

“Hey Jeffery, how are you?” She asked pulling away from the embrace.

“I’m doing really well. Looks like California has been treating you well,” he said smiling.

An older version of Jeffery approached, and Skye turned to great him with a hug as well.

“Hey Alec. How’s Hoover?”

Alec laughed as he ruffled her hair. “He’s doing well and he’ll be happy to see you.”

She shook her head, remembering when she first met the dog, although he was much older now. She grabbed her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Then I guess we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

Alec nodded and began to make his way through the crowd to where he had parked. Skye moved to follow when she felt a sudden weight taken off her shoulder. Jeffery had grabbed her bag and was carrying it himself.

“I can carry my own bag you know.”

“Oh, I know you can, but you look dead on your feet and you already have your backpack on. It’s not that much for me to carry this.” She glared at him and he met her with an even gaze. She sighed after a second. “Fine. Have it your way,” she muttered. In all actuality, she was grateful she didn’t have to carry it for much longer.

They walked out to the parking lot and loaded into Alec’s car with Jeffery in the passenger seat and Skye taking up the backseat.

Alec looked at her through the rear-view mirror. “Skye, I know the initial plan was for us to drive you out to Cameron tonight, but the weather has been pretty bad the last few days. We won’t be able to drive you out and ourselves back safely. Especially if you wanted to eat and catch up with Jeffery.”

“Do my parents know this or do I need to text them?” She asked.

Alec shook his head. “I already talked to your father. He knows you’re staying the night in Boston, but you may want to text him and let him know you arrived safely and haven’t died in the car with me driving.”

Skye snorted at his comment but did text her dad to let him know she landed safely.

“So, Jeffery what did you have planned for dinner?” Asked Skye.

Jeffery turned around to grin at her. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” In the years since they had met, Jeffery had started to enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. He wasn’t half bad.

Skye rolled her eyes and said nothing. Jeffery’s cooking surprises were always good, and she was looking forward to dinner no matter what. The stale plane pretzels were a distant memory.

They arrived at Alec’s apartment and Skye dragged her stuff into the apartment, dropping it in the entryway as Hoover rushed up to greet her. He wasn’t as quick as he used to be, but he still loved to lick anything and everything and Skye had to continually bat him away from licking her face.

She looked up at Jeffery from her kneeling position on the floor with the dog. He smiled down at her and she momentarily forgot how to breathe. The evening light had illuminated his light hair and made his green eyes brighter than usual but there was no hiding the warmth that radiated from him above all else.

The moment was broken as Hoover lunged at her once again, breaking her trance. She shook her head, dispelling the moment.

“So what do you have planned for dinner?” She asked.

Jeffery’s smile turned into a smirk. “You can leave your stuff here. I found a couple movies I think you’ll like. Make yourself comfortable on the couch and I’ll bring you dinner.”

Skye looked at him, but he gave away nothing. “Fine. Keep your secrets,” she said standing and holding eye contact with him as she moved to the living room. She then unceremoniously tripped over a box.

“Dammit,” she muttered while Jeffery busted out laughing at her. She glared at him. “Ha. Ha. So funny. Were you the idiot who left the box here?”

“Well for one, it isn’t just a box: it’s a saxophone case. But yes, it’s mine.” He reached out a hand to her. “C’mon Skye. You’re fine. I’ve seen you take harder falls millions of times without batting an eye. You’ll survive this.” She rolled her eyes but took his hand as he hauled her up off the floor.

They stood face to face now and Skye was at a loss for words and looked down at their clasped hands. Jeffery’s eyes followed hers to their hands. Skye looked back to him and saw a puzzled look on his face. Following his gaze, she noticed the sleeve of her hoodie had slid up her arm slightly revealing the first star of her tattoo.

She pulled her hand away from Jeffery stepping back and sliding the sleeve to cover her arm once more. “Well I don’t know about you, but I ‘m hungry. How about you get dinner and I make it to the couch without tripping again?”

Jeffery nodded without saying anything and headed into the kitchen.

Skye sat on the couch. “Stupid, stupid,” she muttered to herself.

Jeffery couldn’t see her tattoo. He would ask too many questions like Jane but most of all he would ask why she hadn’t told him about it. He was her best friend. He would want to know if she was getting a tattoo.

She was torn from her thoughts as Jeffery reappeared with two bowls in his hands.

“Here you go,” he said handing her a bowl. “Bond apart teepee.”

Skye shook her head at his antics and looked into her bowl. “Seriously?”

Jeffery shrugged. “What? It’s a classic. You can’t go wrong with it.”

“For all of the cooking skill you’ve gained and recipes you’ve tried you decided to make Mac and cheese?”

“I don’t see what the issue is,” he replied eating a spoon full. “It tastes good and makes me happy. If you prefer, I can eat yours and you’ll just starve.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat it. I was just surprised that this is what you decided to go with.” She took a bite of hers and began to feel better already. “So what are we watching?”

A couple of terrible movies, five popcorn fights and a tickling match later, Skye and Jeffery sat together on the couch sides pressed together.

Alec came in from the room he had spent a majority of the night in, planning a few upcoming shows and writing music. He surveyed the mess and the kids on the couch.

“I’m going to bed and the two of you should do the same after you clean up this mess. The two of you can work out who takes the couch for the night. Get on it and goodnight kids.” He turned around with Hoover padding after him and the click that followed sounded the light being turned off.

Skye stretched her arms above her head. “We should get this cleaned up so we can get to bed.”

Jeffery stood up. “Yeah. I really don’t want to sleep on these popcorn kernels.”

Skye looked at him from her spot on the couch. “Who said you were sleeping on the couch? I’m obviously sleeping here. I’m the guest so I should be on the couch.”

Jeffery shook his head. “That’s why you should take the bed. Hospitality rules: the guest does not sleep on the couch.”

“But it’s your bed. I’m not going to kick you out of it or let you kick yourself out for some delusions of hospitality. I’ll take the couch.”

“No, you won’t. I will not let you sleep on the couch.”

“Well I won’t either.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that?”

“Well if you won’t let me take the couch then I guess we’ll just have to share the bed.”

Jeffery blinked a couple times as if he hadn’t heard her right. “We-but we, we can’t do that!”

“How come? Seriously Jeffery, what harm could come from it?”

He was silent for a few moments and Skye began to wonder where the idea had come from and if she had really thought this all out.

“Fine I guess,” Jeffery said.

Skye took a second to process that he had agreed to her stupid idea. _What else is new though?_

“Okay then,” she yawned. “I’m not sure about you but I’m exhausted. The popcorn will be here in the morning. Let’s sleep.”

Jeffery shook his head. “You go ahead. I’ll just clean without you.”

Skye huffed. “You’re not doing it on your own. Let’s get moving.”

It took some time, but they were finally able to pick it all up.

“Now the couch is clean, I can sleep here,” said Skye.

“Hold up now. I thought we had worked out an arrangement.”

“Yeah, but now the couch is clear. I can sleep here,” she shrugged.

“No, you aren’t. One the couch is still covered in oil and fake butter and two: this whole operation was your idea. You don’t suddenly get to back out of it.”

They shuffled their way to Jeffery’s room and flopped onto the bed, exhausted.

“Good night Jeffery,” Skye yawned as the ceiling fell away as her heavy eyelids closed.

“Night Skye.”

Sunlight streamed through the windows, warming Jeffery as he slowly woke up.

_Strange,_ he thought. _I’m really warm. But it’s not uncomfortable_.

He nuzzled his head deeper into the pillow as if he could block out the morning.

His arms constricted around something warm and squishy.

_What a strange mass of blankets._

He opened his eyes slightly to see how exactly these blankets ended up this way.

_I’m a dead man,_ he thought as he forgot how to breathe.

His arms were wrapped around Skye. This could not be possible. However many times he had imagined this, he had never expected it to actually happen. But here they were, her short blonde hair tickling his collar while their bodies curved together perfectly.

_I must be dreaming._

But the sound of his father in the kitchen and the light glaring into the room were not things that would be in his dream.

He sighed and placed his chin over her shoulder, content with just holding her like this.

_What am I doing? If she caught me like this, I’d be murdered on the spot. Not to mention this is creepy and I will not be the creepy guy._ But he’d be damned if he didn’t say that he loved the ocean scent that shrouded around her.

Carefully, he began to extract his limbs from around her. She squirmed at the movement and before he could react, she rolled away from him grasping his arm.

She held his right arm in her possession while his body covered a vast majority of hers. He sighed and began to slowly pull his arm out of her grasp.

Her fingers interlaced his as she made another unconscious attempt to keep his arm. He pulled their arms above their bodies and nearly choked.

She must’ve taken her hoodie off at some point in the night cause he was sure he would’ve noticed it earlier had she not been wearing it.

She had gotten a tattoo. And it wasn’t just any tattoo. With their arms side by side, Jeffery could see the stars mirrored onto his arm.

_There’s no way. The odds are too high. Skye Penderwick cannot be my soulmate._

He stared at the matching ink on their arms and looked to her, comfortably resting in his half-embrace.

Joy flooded over him. _Skye is my soulmate. I’m the luckiest person alive._

He gently laid their arms back over her and pulled them together once more.

He had thought she was beautiful from the first time he saw her all those years ago. He had liked her after their escapade with the bull. And as they grew up, he grew resigned to knowing that she felt nothing but friendship towards him. But he had held out hope they were meant to be together, however faint it may have been. She always said she had no soulmate and he therefore assumed she would never get a tattoo. And he was terrified to get his own and learned that his long crush had been for naught as he was destined to be with someone else.

But all his fears and worries left him as he breathed out. She had a soulmate. _He_ was her soulmate. His hope was not in vain. Of all the people in the world, he was the one the universe had paired with her fiery spirit.

He closed his eyes and drifted into light sleep, all need to get out of bed forgotten.

He woke again to Skye shifting around, attempting to regain consciousness.

Jeffery then remembered the position they were in and as quickly as possible retracted his arm from her hold.

He knew there was a reason Skye had not told him she had gotten the tattoo in the first place and right now was not the best time to inform her of the discovery he had made.

Jeffery shifted away from her but he couldn’t resist her pull and leaned over her ear.

“Wake up sleeping beauty,” he whispered in her ear.

Skye groggily turned to glare at him. Turning however brought them face to face, much closer than she had expected. Her face began to redden as the realization came to her.

“Good morning to you too,” she murmured not looking him in the eye. She rolled away from out of bed and put on her hoodie that was laying on the floor. “I need to shower this morning. Where do I go?” She said, not meeting his eyes.

“One door down to the left,” he replied.

Skye nodded. Quickly gathering her things, she left.

Jeffery flopped onto his back, pushing the heels of his hands up his face. He needed to figure out what he was going to say to her but that would not be determined here.

He got up and padded into the kitchen where he could hear his father making pancakes.

“Morning dad,” he said grabbing a pancake and shoving it in his mouth.

“Good morning,” Alec replied. “I’d ask how you determined who got the couch but considering the fact that the mess is still there, and no one was camped out when I woke up, I take it you guys shared the bed.”

His father looked at him as Jeffery gulped down his most recent pancake.

Jeffery could feel his face heating up. “We didn’t do anything. I swear. We just slept on the same mattress and kept to ourselves.” _For the most part_.

His dad nodded and didn’t say anything else, just continued to flip pancakes.

“Jeffery,” he said gently. “I know you like her a lot. Anyone can see that.” _Except her._ “You really need to either talk to her about how you feel or move on. If you continue to wait on her, you’ll be waiting forever as your life passes by. Don’t do that.”

Jeffery nodded, wishing to get out of this conversation as soon as possible. He didn’t want to talk to his dad about the soulmate situation just yet and hearing his father say all this just made the situation worse in his mind.

“I will. Don’t worry. I have plan. And I should really clean the couch before Hoover makes himself sick on popcorn.” With that, he backed out of the kitchen to the small living room to avoid any more conversations about his tumultuous feelings.

No long after, Jeffery heard Skye pad into the kitchen and her voice drifted over the where he was picking kernels from between the cushions.

“Good morning Alec. These pancakes look great.”

“Good morning Skye and I sure hope they do. Made them myself.”

Skye chuckled. “Well considering I don’t see Jeffery here and you’re by the griddle, I would hope so. I don’t really trust Hoover’s cooking skills. And speaking of Jeffery, where is he?”

“Oh, he’s cleaning up the mess you guys left last night. He had already eaten.”

Jeffery looked up as Skye walked into the living room and assessed the progress he had already made.

“Wow. We really did make a mess here, huh? And I thought we had managed to clean it all up. We did an awful job.” She had the sparkle of humor in her eye.

Jeffery just nodded staring at her as she stood there, dressed in jeans and a faded sweater with damp hair framing her face. She was beautiful. And she was his soulmate.

“Jeffery? Earth to Jeffery. What’s going on?” Skye had lost the teasing gleam, now looking confused. “What is it?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. Just wondering if you were going to stand there all day or help me with this.”

She gave him a look that told him she was unconvinced but knelt to begin collecting kernels. “Alright. If you say so.”

They cleaned in silence until Jeffery felt something hit him. He looked down to see a kernel appear next to him. He looked over to Skye who was trying to hide a smirk. He shook his head, refusing to remake the mess he was cleaning.

Another kernel hit him.

He stood and walked to the trash, feeling Skye’s eyes following him the entire time.

Jeffery turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. “Something you’d like to say?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said innocently.

“Huh.”

He got back down to continue his cleaning mission when she nudged him with her foot. “Why are you so serious? What’s going on?”

“Nothing’s going on. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She snorted. “Yeah and Einstein wasn’t a genius. Jeffery, you’re my best friend. You can tell me anything. You know that right?”

“I do.” _Except I can’t mention that pesky little tattoo._

“Good. So, what’s going on?”

He put on an easy-going smile. “I just want to get this all cleaned up. But someone insists on being distracting.”

Skye raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh, so I’m distracting am I?”

“Uh yeah. I’m trying to be productive and clean this mess and here you are starting the popcorn fight again. I would consider that distracting.”

“I have no clue what you are talking about,” she said moving closer to where he sat on the floor. “I’m an angel and can do no wrong. I, Skye Penderwick, on my life, would never be distracting in any sort of way.”

Jeffery rolled his eyes. “Well that was a lie if I ever heard one.”

“Calling my integrity into question?” she said in mock offense. “I can’t believe that you would do that. As I stated before, I am an angel. An honest person. I am simply trying to help you accomplish your task of cleaning.”

“’Task of cleaning?’” he teased. “You sound like Jane.”

A gasp. “How dare you?”

She lunged at him, forgetting her own pile of kernels as they went flying. She crashed into him and her hands immediately went to tickling his sides.

“Skye! Stop!” Jeffery giggled.

“This is what you get for calling me Jane,” she replied grinning.

“So be it.” His hands found her sides as he tickled back. She gasped for air and her onslaught lightened slightly.

“Jeffery! This isn’t fair!”

“All’s fair in love and war.” With that, he rolled them over so that he was looming over her and she had no ability to tickle him.

“Fine, fine. You win! I yield!” She gasped.

He stopped tickling and they paused there, just staring at one another.

Jeffery saw something flash behind her blue eyes and couldn’t help but smile as he noticed the popcorn pieces stuck in her hair. As if on its own accord, his hand moved and gently brushed through her hair to take the piece out. Skye’s breath suddenly hitched as his hand touched her hair, but she didn’t move. She found his gaze and didn’t break it. His hand came back to where it originally sat next to her. For an eternity, they were locked into place, both not willing to be the one to pop the bubble they resided in.

A throat being cleared off to the side of them broke the trance. Jeffery quickly pushed himself over to sit by Skye’s side as she sat up.

His father stood in the doorway. Jeffery felt his face heating up and could see Skye’s beginning to redden out of the corner of his eye.

“And here I was thinking the two of you could clean the living room by yourselves,” he sighed. “It’s getting close to when we need to leave to take you to Cameron, Skye. You should go gather your things. And Jeffery you still need to go get dressed or at least change from what you wore yesterday. I’ll finish cleaning this.”

They both nodded and silently exited the living room not looking at each other.

Jeffery quickly changed and left Skye to gather the few things she had unpacked.

He met his father back in the kitchen once more.

“I can’t drive with you to Cameron,” he greeted. “I need to stay for a meeting.”

Jeffery nodded, wondering how he was going to survive the car ride with just him and Skye.

His father looked at him with kind eyes. “Jeffery, you need to talk to her. You are skirting around the main issue here and if you don’t do something at least one of you is going to end up with a broken heart. And that’s not something I could bear to see either of you go through.”

Jeffery opened his mouth to say something, when Skye entered the kitchen. “Alright I’m ready to go when you two are.”

“I’m not going so it’s just you and Jeffery,” his father said. “You can get going whenever.”

Skye nodded and Jeffery noticed her swallow slightly. She wouldn’t look at him. “Alright. What are we waiting for?” She grabbed her bags and began hauling them to the door.

Jeffery took a breath and took the car keys off the counter. He nodded a goodbye to his dad and led Skye out the door to where the car was parked.

The first few minutes were spent in silence until Skye’s aux played a song neither of them couldn’t help but sing. Suddenly any awkwardness between them disappeared and the first half of the drive was defined by Skye playing any song she knew they could both belt at the top of their lungs to the Massachusetts countryside.

The latest song faded, and Jeffery finally found the ability to speak to her.

“So, how has California been?”

“Warm. I’m honestly not sure how I ever survived winter,” she said squinting out at the winter. “It’s gorgeous out there. Not to say Massachusetts isn’t, but there’s something about California that makes it special. There’s just so much world out there and I can’t believe how little I’ve seen.” Jeffery found himself nodding. “Yeah. It’s crazy to think how much has expanded for us in such a short time.”

“Especially for you,” she said making eye contact with him before looking forward. “You never really left Arundel except for school and now you’re living in Boston and traveling everywhere to perform.”

He sighed. “Yeah. It’s been incredible seeing it all.”

“Didn’t you send me a picture from when you were in London or something?”

He grinned. “Yeah. Dad was invited to a jazz festival with a couple friends and let me tag along. I thought I told you this already.”

Skye shrugged. “Maybe. But you always sound so happy recounting the trips and the places you’ve gone.”

“And for that you’ll let me ramble on about something you’ve already heard?” giving her a side-eyed look.

“Well, yeah. Traveling and talking about it makes you happy,” she gazed down at her hands. “When you’re happy, it makes me happy. I like it when you find joy in the world.”

“So, what I’m hearing is that your happiness is predicated to mine. That’s a lot of responsibility on one person.”

Skye sighed and he could almost hear her eyes rolling. “You know lots of different things make me happy. Stars and soccer and mathematics- “

“Gross.”

“What I’m saying is that, you’re my best friend. And because of that little fact, I want you to be happy.” Her voice suddenly dropped to a soft sound. “I know how miserable you were growing up. To see you now, not as the boy I met but as the man you’ve become despite it all, is incredible. I find joy in your happiness because a selfish part of me wishes that I may have played a part in it. But if there’s anyone who deserves to be happy, it’s you.”

Jeffery couldn’t breathe. He looked over at Skye who refused to look at him and stared at her hands as though they held all the answers.

He tentatively reached out his hand and placed it lightly against her forearm.

His gaze flicked between her and the road as he began to speak: “Skye. You really don’t know how much you’ve played a part in my life. You were the first Penderwick I met, the catalyst for everyone else. You taught me how to be bold and stand for myself. I wouldn’t have ever left Arundel if it weren’t for how you, and your family, helped encourage me to find the person I wanted to be.”

Skye opened her mouth to speak but Jeffery shook his head and continued.

“And in the years since the revelation of my father, of adapting to high school, and dealing with all the crap life has thrown at me, you’ve been there. You’ve been my shoulder to cry on and you’ve never left, no matter how many times I lash out at you. There’s no one else in the world that I can say that about. It’s not selfish to think that you might’ve played a part in my happiness because you’ve played the biggest role of anyone.”

She shook her head and Jeffery could’ve sworn she was crying.

They arrived into Cameron and Jeffery thought of all he said. Skye was the person he trusted most, the person he looked to, the person who knew exactly who he was and didn’t shy away. And for all these reasons, she was his childhood crush he could never shake off - no matter how hard he tried.

_Is this what having a soulmate means?_

Skye took a breath, obviously trying to keep it steady. “Thank you Jeffery,” she said barely over a whisper.

“You know that I meant every word, right?”

She just nodded.

“You know how much you mean to me, right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t.”

Skye looked taken aback and Jeffery prayed she didn’t hate him after what he was going to say.

“Skye, you showed me the world, even before I ever left Arundel. I saw laughter and hope and sadness and the complexities of humanity that I had never known before you. You gave me the world, a place beyond the lonely halls and gardens. And Skye. I fell in love with it all. I fell in love with you, the person who gave it all to me.”

Skye had started crying again but this time she was looking at him as he spilled his heart to her.

“Jeffery…”

He shook his head, stopping her from speaking more.

“Your spirit is on fire and it’s unparalleled to anyone else. I love seeing your passion and how you never back down from a challenge. You amaze me. You let me see into the ugliest parts of who you are, the parts that shame you. And yet, I can’t help but think how beautiful you are. Skye, I’ve fallen hard for you and not just the idolized parts. All of you.”

He finished his monologue of spilled feelings as they pulled in front of the Penderwick residence, but Skye made no move to get out.

She looked at him and her eyes betrayed a deep sadness Jeffery didn’t understand.

“You say that as if we were meant to be. As if we were soulmates.” She took a deep breathe. “But Jeffery there is nothing between us other than friendship. There can’t ever be. I have no soulmate.”

Jeffery shook his head. “You continue to say that but you’re wrong.”

She rolled the sleeve of her sweater up. “Jeffery I have a tattoo! There is no one on earth with its mirror! I have no soulmate!” Tears flowed down her face, and in all years he had known her and her assumption that she had no soulmate, he had never heard her sound so heartbroken over the statement.

Jeffery shook his head. “You’re wrong.”

He rolled his own sleeve up and laid his forearm on the consul next to hers.

“You have a soulmate and it’s me.”

Her red eyes widened. “H-how?”

“It appeared on me early in the semester - easily hidden amongst my freckles. I knew it matched yours because I saw your tattoo early this morning before you woke up.”

Skye sat there frozen. She slowly pulled her arm away from where it lay to fumble opening the car door. “I-I need to leave. You need to leave.”

She managed to open the door and hastily fled to retrieve all her things from the car.

Jeffery sat there helpless, unable to do anything.

Skye shouldered her last bag and looked at him through the panes of the car glass.

She mouthed something he couldn’t understand.

Then she turned and walked up the to Penderwick’s home, never once looking back.

Jeffery didn’t drive away until every trace of her had left the front porch.

Skye let all her things fall into the entryway of the house, too tired to carry them anymore.

She sunk to the floor crying. How had this happened? She was so sure, so confident that a soulmate didn’t exist for her out there.

But she was wrong. Oh, how she hated being wrong.

She had a soulmate and it was her best friend, someone she couldn’t avoid forever, someone who she already cared for deeply.

Tears fell freely down her face and Skye couldn’t remember the last time she had cried.

At least she could be grateful for the fact that her parents and siblings were all still in school for the day. No one would be a witness to the mess she had become.

“Skye? Is that you?”

Skye cursed as Rosalind came to the entryway. The one Penderwick who was also home from school and the last one Skye wanted to see right now.

She loved Rosalind but Rosalind deeply believed in soulmates and was adamant that Skye had one. Hearing that Rosalind was right was the last thing that Skye wanted to deal with right now.

“Skye? Oh my gosh Skye, what happened?” Rosalind had crouched down to be eye-level with Skye. Skye just shook her head, too choked to say anything.

Rosalind sighed. The patient face Skye had recognized over the years came over Rosalind along with a determination to make Skye better. Jane called it Rosy’s ‘Mom Instinct.’

Rosalind took Skye’s hands and pulled them off her tear-stained face.

Rosalind stood. “C’mon Skye. Sitting there is not going to make any of this better.” She pulled Skye off the floor and Skye let herself be numbly guided to the kitchen to be sat in a chair.

Skye stared at the counter, her tears beginning to slow.

A bowl slid into her line of vision and she looked up to Rosalind standing across the counter from her.

“I was in the middle of making cookies this morning. I usually don’t do this, but you look like you need just the dough.”

Skye looked at her sister. “Rosy, I, uh, I can’t.”

Rosalind shook her head. “I can make more, and I know you like cookie dough more than baked cookies. Eat it. You’ll feel better.”

Skye just nodded and took a small bite. In all her years of baking, Rosalind had really perfected her recipes.

“Thank you,” whispered Skye after she had taken a few more bites. There was still a substantial amount of dough left in the bowl, but she was beginning to feel better.

“You’re welcome,” said Rosalind kindly. “I won’t pressure you, but what happened? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry like that other than the time when you tore your ACL.”

Skye took a shuddering breath. Logically, Rosalind was the best sister to talk to about this. Batty and Lydia were too young, Jane too romantic. Rosalind had the most experience with soulmates and while she was optimistic, she was also a realist. But where on earth was she going to start?

Skye took a deep breath and brought her arm forward; in her haste to leave Jeffery’s car she didn’t roll her sleeve back down. The movement caught Rosalind’s eye and Skye heard the sharp intake of breath at the revelation.

“You got a tattoo.”

Skye nodded. “But it wasn’t for the reason everyone jumps to. I always loved how they looked and wanted one myself. So, I got my zodiac constellation.”

“When did this happen?”

“Back in September, a few weeks after I moved out.”

“That long? How did you keep it a secret?”

“Rosy. I live on the other side of the country. It’s not like I see any of you every day. And I made sure no pictures where it was visible were posted or sent. It wasn’t that hard.”

“But you came back for Thanksgiving!”

“Long sleeves and the excuse that I had gotten used to California’s warm weather and Cameron’s was a shock,” Skye said with a shrug.

Rosalind shook her head. “I can’t believe it. I mean the part about you thinking they were cool makes sense. That doesn’t surprise me. But I would’ve thought you’d avoid them because you didn’t want questions about a soulmate.” Her eyes widened. “That’s why you didn’t tell us.” Skye nodded. “You didn’t want questions about having a soulmate. But wait. You got this months ago. And you’re just now telling me. And you started your explanation with it. Skye! Do you have a soulmate?”

Skye cringed at Rosalind’s rapid enthusiasm, but dumbly nodded.

Rosalind’s excitement quickly died as she took in Skye’s reaction and remembered how she found her sister on the floor.

“Skye,” she said softly. “Did you find your soulmate?”

She nodded, tears beginning to prick her eyes.

“Oh. I take it that it didn’t go well, especially since you were so sure you had no soulmate.”

Skye nodded again, the tears falling now.

“Skye, who is your soulmate? Maybe this can be worked out.”

Skye shook her head. There were so many situations she had messed up and rectified over the years, but this wasn’t one of them.

“Have a little faith. Everything works out in the end.”

“This won’t. It can’t. There’s no way.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t him well enough to say that. Please tell me and I’ll help you work this out. I want to help you. It breaks my heart to see you like this,” Rosalind added quietly.

Skye swallowed. “It’s Jeffery,” she said just barely audible, not looking at her sister.

“Jeffery…,” Rosalind muttered. “Jeffery.”

Rosalind’s eyes widened as realization dawned and she covered her mouth with her hand.

“Oh Skye. I-I never thought. I never imagined. I mean, I knew he liked you but _soulmates_. I never imagined it.”

Skye began sobbing once more, not caring what Rosalind thought of her now.

Rosalind walked around the counter and slid onto the seat next to her. She pulled Skye into a hug and Skye rested her head against her older sister’s shoulder.

“Skye, what happened?” Rosalind whispered.

She took a shuddering breath, readying herself for story she herself barely had time to process.

“He-he drove me home from Boston. And we were talking and I don’t remember about what but he, Rosy, he told me everything. How he felt about me and all these feelings he had for so long. And when I told him that I wasn’t possible for us, he showed me his matching tattoo. And then. And then I left. Rosy what am I supposed to do? He’s my soulmate but I don’t know what to say. I still don’t know what to say. I just walked away and pretended like the world hadn’t stopped spinning. I left him just sitting there with nothing but raw emotion. I don’t know how to handle this. I believed there was no soulmate for me but here am I. Rosy, I’m scared.”

Rosalind just held her. “It’s okay Skye. You’re fine. You didn’t say anything that you absolutely could never ever be able to take back right?” Skye nodded. “Good. Skye, Jeffery is a wonderful guy and you will be able to fix this. He’s liked you for this long. One sudden outburst of emotion won’t scare him away. Otherwise your friendship would be nonexistent.”

Skye smiled a little at that remembering the way she had yelled about him being a spoiled brat after they first met.

Rosalind pulled away. “Now that that is squared away, Skye, how do you feel about Jeffery?”

Skye let out a small laugh. “Like my feelings about him have changed since I found out we were soulmates? Rosy, it’s been a half hour, not even, and a vast majority of that having been spent sobbing to the point of severe dehydration. He’s still my best friend,” she said shrugging.

Rosalind looked at her from raised eyebrows.

“Why are you looking at me like that? What do you want me to say? That he’s the person I feel most comfortable around, even more so than you guys sometimes? That whenever I’m around him I’m happier and I wish that it would all pause and stay that way? That his smile makes happy and seeing him happy is all I want. And that telling him I had no soulmate my broke my heart because the whole time he was talking about how he felt about me I understood because-because I feel the same…”

Her voice trailed off and she looked back at Rosalind, whose face showed only calm understanding.

“I like Jeffery, a lot,” Skye whispered. She wasn’t ready to say ‘love’ since she wasn’t sure that what she was feeling qualified as such but she knew it was something more than the friendship. “Rosy, what do I do?”

“First you need to call to meet with him again and tell him everything you told me. It will never get resolved if you two don’t speak to one another. And you also need to decide who in the family you want to know before the day ends. Jeffery has been an honorary member of our family for years. They should know what’s going on. If you don’t want to tell everyone tonight that’s fine but you can’t keep it a secret forever.”

Skye nodded. “I’ll call Jeffery tomorrow. We’ll both be leveled-headed at that point and I can do it while everyone is gone. As for telling everyone, I think I’ll tell Daddy and Iantha. Ben and Lydia are a little too young to understand and Jane and Batty will just blow it out of proportion. And I don’t trust Jane to not contact Jeffery before I can.”

“That sounds like a good plan. If you need any help, I’m here for you.” She stood and pushed the bowl of remaining cookie dough to Skye. “Finish this. It’ll still do you some good.”

“Thanks Rosy,” said Skye. “It means a lot.” Rosalind smiled. “Also, thanks for not saying ‘I told you so’ when I said that I actually did have a soulmate.”

Rosalind’s smile turned into a grin. “Don’t thank me yet. Once this is over, you’re never going to hear the end of this. Now eat your dough.”

Jeffery drove in silence.

No music. No crying. No nothing.

He simply drove on autopilot.

He processed nothing. His brain just swirled with a million fragments of thought that refused to piece themselves together.

He was unsure as to how he had arrived to his father’s apartment. He might as well have teleported.

He couldn’t tell you how he entered the building and climbed the stairs or managed to open the door.

Hoover jumped around his legs and Jeffery absent-mindedly patted his head. He drifted to his room and he couldn’t recall how long it took him to fall asleep.

Jeffery woke up confused. He thought there was another person lying beside him, but he felt cold.

He opened his eyes as reality set in.

He was remembering the morning when he held Skye in his arms as he woke.

Jeffery turned to lay on his back, his arms covering his face. _Good God that was this morning._

He didn’t know how long he slept for, but it was enough.

All the emotion he couldn’t feel on the drive home rushed into his consciousness.

How could he have been so stupid? Telling Skye how he felt? What kind of reaction was he expecting? Skye was his best friend. He should’ve known that that was how she was going to react.

He lifted his arm about his head and stared at the tattoo and let out a dry laugh.

He had thought the tattoo would make a difference.

He was an idiot.

Something as trivial as the predestination of the universe couldn’t alter her state of mind. In her head, she still had no soulmate, however much the ink in their skin begged to differ.

He was so stupid. To think after all these years that she would finally feel the same towards him.

Seven years. For seven silent years he held onto this childish crush.

Sure, there was the odd girlfriend here and there but they never lasted long, especially after they met Skye. He never meant to hurt them but even they saw his heart lay elsewhere.

It lay with his best friend who would most likely never speak to him again after this.

Idiot.

Why had he spilled his guts? Why had he even opened his mouth?

He could’ve left it there and not said a word. He could’ve pretended that he was just her best friend and nothing more. He could’ve pretended he knew nothing about the tattoo and continued to live the life he had.

But he had to say something.

How stupid could one kid be?

“Jeffery? Jeffery where are you?”

Jeffery was torn from his thoughts as his father entered the apartment.

“Hey, I was thinking we could order some pizza tonight and maybe – Jeffery what happened?”

Jeffery opened his eye to see his father standing in his doorway.

“Nothing,” he muttered.

“That isn’t the assumed position of ‘nothing.’ Something happened. What is it son?”

“Nothing.”

His father sighed. “Nothing sure does seem like a lot. Am I allowed to guess at this ‘nothing’?”

Jeffery shrugged. Like his dad was going to guess and if he did, what did he have to lose that he hadn’t lost already?

“So considering you’re lying in bed covered in blankets, I’m going to guess you slept for a while.”

Jeffery remained silent.

“And while I don’t know how long you were asleep or how long you may have spent just lying there, I’m going to assume it was a substantial amount. And taking in that rough time frame, you must have only recently gotten home from dropping Skye off before you came in here.”

Jeffery felt a part of the bed next to him sag as his father took a seat next to him.

“Jeffery, my boy, what happened with Skye?”

He shook his head. He couldn’t speak.

His father sighed. “You told her about how you felt didn’t you?”

“I’m so stupid,” he groaned.

“No, you’re not,” said his father kindly. “You’re human. Jeffery, you’ve known Skye longer than you’ve known me, but all the time I’ve known you, I’ve been able see how you’ve felt about her. This was bound to happen sooner or later. Things like this don’t just miraculously go away. You would need to confront your feelings. It’s not healthy to hole them up like this.”

“It was fine! It was all fine! This shouldn’t have happened. Not like this.”

“Jeffery speak to me. What happened?”

He took his arms off his eyes and stared at the ceiling above his head, his dad present but out of view.

“I don’t know,” he whispered. “We were talking and then suddenly I told her. And she cried. And then I told her I knew. I knew about her tattoo. I knew cause I have it.” He heard his father take in a sharp breath. “But she just cried harder and said she was sorry and left. Now I don’t know what to feel.”

“You don’t know what you’re supposed to feel, but how do you feel right now?”

“Empty. I’ve held so much in for so long and now it’s out.”

“And now that it’s out I think the best thing you can do is wait. All of this was probably a shock to her, and we all know this about Skye, but she doesn’t handle emotion well.” Jeffery was unable to stop the small grin at the understatement. His grin fell away almost immediately though.

“What am I waiting for?”

A sigh. “I’m not sure. I’m really sorry but I’m not much help. I only ever fell in love with one woman and we both know that it wasn’t truly love. And I never had a soulmate. But there’s something there between the two of you. And if you kids are indeed soulmates, that’s not something even she will be able to ignore. You will hear from her. It’ll be on her own time but it’ll happen.”

Jeffery found himself nodding but he still felt empty.

“Do you want me to order in pizza? Or Mexican maybe? Whatever you want. I’ve found good food will help a broken heart.”

He stood and looked at Jeffery who hadn’t moved from his position on the bed.

Jeffery shook his head. “I’m not hungry.”

His father nodded and walked to the door. “Pizza it is. There will be some waiting if you change your mind.” And with that, he left the room.

Jeffery didn’t know how long he laid there staring at the ceiling. His mind rotated between being completely devoid of thought and having his consciousness so full he couldn’t differentiate between two contrary ideas.

He was able to see the Boston skyline darkening quickly, although it was helped in part by the winter solstice nearing.

He rubbed his hands over his face.

“What am I doing?” he muttered.

He forced himself out of his bed and into the hallway. His feet dragged him into the kitchen where his dad and Hoover were eating.

He slid into a chair and reached out to the box. His father shifted the box for him.

“How are you feeling?”

“Mentally, emotionally, or physically?” Jeffery asked through a mouthful of pizza.

“All of the above.”

“Well physically I’m fine minus the fact that I didn’t realize how hungry I am. Do not say ‘I told you so.’”

His father held up his hands in mock innocence. “I was going to do no such thing.”

Jeffery sighed. “Emotionally, I still feel empty. Mentally, I’m really tired and exhausted. It’s been an extremely long day in which I’ve done very little physically but take a ride on a crazy emotional rollercoaster.”

“Alright. I’d be concerned if you said something wildly different, but you seem to be doing well for the most part.”

Jeffery nodded and took another slice. “Do you think she actually will contact me?”

“Jeffery. You need to remember that she is first and foremost your friend. You have been through a lot together and managed to hold onto that relationship even while she was across the country. Is there anyone else you could each say the same for?” Jeffery shook his head. “Exactly. Your friendship has already been through the wringer. If it falls apart because of some romantic feelings that you had for a vast majority of this friendship, was it ever supposed to last then?

“Add on to all that, you two are apparently soulmates. Based on my life, one would assume I think the entire concept of soulmates in rubbish. But I’m a romantic at heart and I’ve seen more success stories than I can count of soulmates working out. The universe decided that the two of you were the complements to each other. However you found it and whatever route you end up taking, the universe has a way of righting itself. The two of you were destined to be together. Once your head is clear, you’ll have an easier time coming to terms with this. It will be harder for her, but she will come around. And no matter what is going on inside her head, I know Skye well enough to know that she cares about you too much to give up on your friendship. Regardless of the universe and emotions, you just need to wait. Skye will fight until the world bleeds out because in the end, you matter more than what her precious stars have foretold.”

“Yeah. Maybe you’re right. But I don’t know if I can wait for a long time. What if it takes months for her to talk to me again? Never hearing from her would drive me insane!”

“You’re just going to have to wait. I think she will contact you soon. Just give it time.”

When his father had said Skye would contact him soon, Jeffery didn’t think he had meant noon the very next day.

He nearly leaped out of his skin when the phone started ringing, shaking the piano he currently sat at. Then he nearly had a heart attack when he saw the caller and fumbled his phone,

“Hello?”

“Hey Jeffery.” Skye sounded tired.

“Hey Skye. What’s up?”

“The usual family shenanigans. Daddy and Iantha are busy conducting finals. Rosy made me welcome-home cookies and she’s the only one in the house with me during the day besides Lydia. Jane has a new boyfriend. I think it’s been like two weeks so he’ll be around for maybe another month. Ben keeps coming home with new Christmas decorations and Batty has a recital in about a week.”

Jeffery found himself nodding as she updated him on the life of the Penderwicks, but she didn’t have her usual sarcasm woven in. Her words sounded dull.

“That’s good to hear,” he replied. “Do you think I could come out for Batty’s recital? I take it that it’s on the piano.”

Silence. Then a faint, “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I don’t know. I-I don’t know if I’m ready to see you again quite yet.”

Jeffery felt his heart sink as if it had somehow managed to grow heavier.

“Skye, please. If not even for seeing me, this is Batty’s piano recital. I love watching her play.”

“I know. And you’re the one who originally taught her to play. I understand how proud you are of her talent. But Jeffery.” She took a deep breath and Jeffery braced himself for what he knew was coming. “Jeffery I can’t see you.” Her voice broke along with his heart. “You’re my best friend. And that’s the best thing in the world. The world can’t go and ruin that by concocting a stupid thing like soulmates.”

“Skye, you saw my arm. Whatever you may think, this is what happened.”

“No! It’s not! Maybe it just shows how deeply our platonic bond goes.”

“Skye you know as well as I do that that’s not how this works.”

“Well it might! How do you know what any of this means?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the astrophysicist who understands the universe?” He sighed. “I know this is what it means because this is how the world works and how it’s worked for thousands of years. We’re all pieces in this cosmos you love so much and soulmates is simply something it does.”

“What if the universe made a mistake?” She whispered.

“Skye, do you really think that?”

“I don’t know what I think! I was never supposed to have a soulmate and suddenly my best friend springs this mess on me and I don’t know what to think!”

“Hey it’s not the end of the world.”

“It’s the end of mine. Everything I’ve known has been thrown out the window.”

“Don’t say that. So what if you have a soulmate? It doesn’t change anything.”

“It changes everything! Suddenly you’re supposed to be something more than my best friend! Why does this mean our futures are suddenly destined together!”

“Was I not going to be in your future? In any capacity?”

“Jeffery that’s not what I meant.”

“What you meant was that we can’t remain friends because of this soulmate thing barring the fact that I’ve liked you since we met all those years ago.”

“This is what I was talking about! Soulmates just complicate and wreck everything.” She took another deep breath. “I’m sorry Jeffery. I need space. I thought maybe talking to you would be fine but it’s clearly not. I’ll talk to you later. Goodbye Jeffery.”

The phone call clicked off as she hung up.

Jeffery sat at the piano bench staring at his phone. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

His dad came in and sat beside him. “I only heard your end of the conversation but I can guess how it went. Do you want to talk about it?”

Jeffery shook his head.

Alec nodded. “I figured.” He placed his hands on the piano keys and began to play a soft melody. “Then let’s just sit here and play. It’s as good as talking.”

She shakily lowered the phone from her ear to her lap.

Dammit she shouldn’t be crying. Why was this all so hard?

Knocking at her door interrupted her thoughts. “Hey Skye lunch is ready.”

“I’m not hungry.” She cringed at how weak her voice sounded.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. No, no. There’s no reason to-“

Rosalind stood in the doorway and Skye held her gaze.

“I’m fine can’t you see?”

“Skye you look awful.”

Skye rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She flopped onto the bed so that her legs were hanging off the sides.

Rosalind crossed her arms. “What happened?”

“Nothing. I said that I’m fine.”

“And I know you’re lying. You’re sitting up here crying. Did you call Jeffery?”

Skye nodded.

“Oh Skye. What happened?”

A humorless laugh escape her but quickly turned into another sob. “Everything.”

Rosalind came and lay down beside her.

“I thought calling would be fine. It started out fine. I told him how everyone was doing. And I mentioned Batty’s stupid recital. Why did I do that? Cause then he wanted to come and watch and I screwed it up! Why do I do this?”

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him that maybe he shouldn’t come and then that I couldn’t see him. And then I reverted to ranting about soulmates and how I can’t deal with the fact that we’re apparently soulmates but he’s my best friend. Never mind the fact that I feel the exact same. Why am I so emotionally stunted?”

Rosalind took a deep breath. “I honestly don’t know what to tell you. You just didn’t handle that well.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.”

They laid there staring at the ceiling and Skye recalled how Rosy always had the answers and how as they had grown older the less answers she had.

_Guess growing up is just learning how much you don’t actually know._

“How did you feel when Tommy’s tattoo appeared?” She spoke into the quiet.

“Initially I was really surprised. Tommy had mentioned wanting to get a tattoo, but I thought it was always a thing to worry about in the future. Cause, I mean, we had been dating for nearly four years and if he got a tattoo and it didn’t appear on me, was I just wasting my time?” She shook her head. “So the afternoon he snuck off to get it done underage came as a shock. I was working on some homework and I felt this weird pricking on the back of my arm. I didn’t think too much of it until I checked the back of my arm in the bathroom. I saw it finish appearing and I went straight over to Tommy’s. And honestly? I was so scared that I had gotten it all wrong and he hadn’t actually gotten a tattoo. So when he pulled up in the driveway, I was relieved. Why do you ask?”

“To maybe understand how Jeffery feels. Or to make sure I’m not going crazy. Not sure yet.”

“Skye, you and Jeffery are not me and Tommy. We’re all different people that somehow fit together in this crazy world. Don’t try to think that we’ll all have the same story.”

“But soulmates are all the same.”

“You can’t actually believe that right? I’ve yet to meet any two soulmates that are the exact same as another two. Tommy and I are not our parents and they aren’t you and Jeffery. Part of having a soulmate is understanding that this person you have been aligned with is simply the person who compliments you best. That’s why soulmates don’t always see eye-to-eye and why they aren’t the exact same person and half the time are polar opposites in tastes. If you keep viewing them as simply the person you’re meant to be with forever and nothing more, you’re not seeing the reality of the situation. You and Jeffery do have something special and it’s time you owned up to that.”

Rosalind stayed there on the bed and the sisters stared at the ceiling not saying a word.

Finally, Skye sighed. “I guess you might be right. But what do I do now?”

“That’s the hardest part isn’t it? You wait. This all got messed up but the universe has a way of righting itself. Don’t worry. The two of you will be just fine.”

Jeffery had made up his mind. He was going to this concert.

Sure, Skye, his best friend and soulmate, didn’t want him there but what did that matter?

Okay it mattered a lot and as Jeffery stood in front of the mirror prepping to leave, he wondered if he was really making the right choice.

Yes, he wanted to see Skye and make things right, and yes he loved to see Batty play. But was this the best thing to do and what if he wrecked whatever still remained between him and Skye?

“Jeffery? How much longer are you going to be in there?”

“Coming.”

He took a breath and stepped into the hallway to face his dad.

“Are you still going?” Jeffery nodded. “Alright then. Drive safely and text me when you get there. Tell Batty I’m sorry I couldn’t be there and she performed amazingly. And I wish you the best of luck with Skye. Although I don’t think you need it; everything will be fine.”

Jeffery nodded again and hugged his dad. However when the night ended, Jeffery knew he was coming back differently.

He spent the drive in a state of attempting at trying to not focus on what was going to happen. He played the radio and focused on driving down the snowy highway and definitely not thinking about the last time he drove to Cameron.

He arrived to the little church ten minutes before the recital was to begin. A few late families were rushing in but for the most part Jeffery was alone in the parking lot. He got out of the car and braved the freezing temperatures for the briefest moment until he was inside.

He accepted a program from the old man and took a seat far back in the church.

He didn’t try but he immediately found a blonde head surrounded by brunettes and red heads, all seated near the front. He couldn’t see their faces but from the way their heads moved, he knew the family was having fun before the program was to begin.

_He should be with them_.

He shook his head to clear the thought that had sprung up but it was too late. He should be sitting with the family as an honorary member, joking and laughing with the rest of them.

How did everything become such a mess?

He leaned back in the pew and closed his eyes trying to think of anything else but the image taking place before him.

“Jeffery!” He was immediately alert as a little girl flew into him for a hug.

“Uh, hey Batty! How are you?”

“I’m amazing! Did you come to watch me play?”

“Yeah! I heard you are the last performer tonight.”

“I am,” she beamed. “But I’m really nervous. What if I mess up? Everyone will know.”

“Batty. I get nervous too, every time I’m about to play. But it will be just fine. Imagine the only people here are me and your family. No one will care and we love you no matter how it goes.”

“You’re right!” She got a confused look on her face. “Why are not with everyone else?” She turned to call to her family, but Jeffery quickly grabbed her arm. “Hey it’s alright. I want to be in the back.”

“Really? You’re a part of the family. You should sit with them.”

He shook his head. “No. It’s better if I sit here tonight.”

“Does this have something to do with my sisters?”

“What? Why would you say that?”

Batty looked at her shoes. “I overheard Rosy and Skye talking and they mentioned your name. I didn’t stay cause Skye sounded upset and when she gets upset and I’m around she tends to get really angry. She apologizes later but I don’t like her yelling.”

He sighed. “Yeah. Skye and I got into a fight and we haven’t completely worked it out yet.” He figured Skye hadn’t told her family of what had actually happened, if Batty’s story was anything to go by. “We’ll work it out but right now I don’t think she really wants to see me.”

“Well Skye is stupid.” Batty looked up from her shoes and stared him in the eye. “You’re the best person I’ve ever met and Skye is bad with people. Whatever she did, she probably didn’t truly mean it. That happens a lot. But she knows when she’s messed up. And she’s messed up. There’s nothing bad you could do. Skye just overreacts to everything. And I can’t see the two of you never being friends again.”

It was strange to hear the description of his best friend come from her sister. It was weird to hear all the issues Skye had within her stated before him in the most matter-of-fact way by a sixth grader but Batty was still not completely right.

“I’m sorry, Batty but I screw up as much as Skye and I caused her to get upset. But we’re going to be friends again. If we can be friends after she screamed about what a terrible person I was, we can be friends again after a minor misunderstanding.”

Batty solemnly nodded and hugged him again.

“I have to go sit with the other kids playing tonight but I’ll talk to you later. Thanks for coming.”

He smiled. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Batty turned and moved to join the group of children sitting to the right of the stage.

“And Jeffery,” she said without turning to face him. “There was no misunderstanding. Not for you two. You are meant to be together.”

And with that, she left him sitting in the back of a half-empty church, staring at a blonde head amidst a happy family.

Skye sat through small child after small child playing a simple Christmas song on a too big piano. She would never say they were all horrible but something felt horribly wrong with her.

“Skye are you alright?”

She swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Rosalind studied her and side-eyed the family sitting around them.

“Are you regretting not allowing someone to come?”

Skye glared at her sister. “We’ve already been through this.” Her glare soon fell away and she felt her entire body slump. “I just, feel like I screwed up beyond repair and the universe is watching me waiting for the next mistake to happen. Yet here I am at this concert I don’t entirely care for wondering how I can fix my life.”

“I told you, everything will work itself out and you’re going to be fine.”

“Rosy, how on earth is this all going to work out?”

Rosalind just smiled as she watched the next kid walk up onto the stage and nervously shuffle his music. “Let’s just call it an older sister’s intuition.”

Before Skye could reply, the kid had bowed and the crowd applauded and she lost her chance at a retort as yet another rendition of Carol of the Bells began.

A few more kids were left to play until finally Batty appeared on the stage. Even at the age of eleven, she was obviously one of the most talented kids to grace the stage that night. She played a rendition of “Last Christmas” that actually sounded like the song it was supposed to be.

While Skye was not the most musically inclined person, she could still tell how much emotion Batty managed to eek out of the piano. Batty played as though her own heart had been broken in the past year. Or maybe Skye was just imaging it all. Did she break Jeffery’s heart? Did she break her own? Did it matter?

Maybe not. Tears pricked her eyes and all Skye could think of was the ink in her arm and movie nights and how waking up with his arms around her just felt so right. How could she just walk away from him and pretend nothing had ever happened? How could she sit here and deny how right everything felt whenever he was around? How could she deny that when she let herself, she had fallen for her best friend?

Skye was so lost in self thought that Rosalind had to pull her up to stand and applaud for Batty as she finished.

Batty stood on stage for her bows. Her eyes looked down to her family and then to something out beyond them. Skye followed her gaze and locked eyes with the person she both wanted to see most and never see again.

Jeffery was standing there in the back of this church.

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

But here he was anyway.

Skye wasn’t aware when she had stopped breathing, just that it had happened.

She was frozen where she stood.

“Skye!” Rosalind hissed in here ear and pulled her down into her seat as the instructor began her closing speech. “What were you staring at?”

“Jeffery’s here.”

Rosalind peered behind her. “That does seem to be the case.”

“Rosy. What on earth am I supposed to do?”

“Talk to him.”

“But I’m not ready! What in hell am I supposed to say?”

Rosalind shrugged. “Whatever comes to mind.”

“You know as well as I do that’s a terrible idea.”

“It’s the only thing you can do. And no. You are not allowed to attempt to sneak out of here.”

She stood with the rest of the family and Skye followed, although her gaze slid to where Jeffery was standing.

Rosalind looked to him as well and put a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “This needs to be done and you can do it. What are you, a man or a mouse?”

Skye looked to her sister. “I hate it when you use my phrases against me. And right now, I’m feeling a lot like a mouse.”

Rosalind shook her head. “You need to do this. Go. I’ll cover for you. I’ll text you if we move from the dessert reception. Now go.” She then gently pushed Skye in the direction of the back on the sanctuary. Skye considered glaring at her but her heart wasn’t truly in it.

She looked to the back of the church and steeled herself. She slowly walked to where Jeffery stood.

They stood apart and alone in the rapidly clearing room.

“Um…hi.” Skye inwardly cringed at the uncertainty of her voice.

“Hi. So, uh, how have you been?”

“Alright I guess. I don’t really know.”

Jeffery simply nodded and looked how she felt: like he was waiting for any moment to escape.

She just had to bite the bullet. “Can we talk? Preferably somewhere not as loud and open as here.”

Jeffery let out a breath. “Yeah. Over here.”

They walked into an empty hall that they were pretty sure no one would be using in this time since everyone was at the dessert reception on the other side of the church.

They stood in silence for a beat.

“I’m so sorry,” they said in unison. Skye and Jeffery looked at each other and begun to laugh.

“Of course. We don’t talk for a week and we still talk as if we’re best friends,” joked Skye.

“I don’t know about you, but I didn’t think we stopped being best friends.” 

Skye looked at him. “No, we didn’t. And I’m sorry if it ever came across like that. I’m sorry for freaking out like I did. You didn’t deserve that and I should have stayed and talked to you. But I’m glad we’re doing that now.”

“And I’m sorry for bringing it up so abruptly and trying to force my feelings on you. I’m your friend first and foremost and whatever else I feel comes second to that. It’s good talking to you again and being able to work this out in person.”

They stood in silence for a few seconds.

“So…now that we’ve gotten that all cleaned up, do you want me to go?” Jeffery sheepishly asked breaking eye contact with her.

“No!” Skye impulsively took a step towards him. She took a breath and continued forward until she was only an arms-length away. “I mean don’t leave. I just-I’m not done yet? Hell, I don’t know what I’m supposed to say. I guess I’m just sorry for being a jerk to you simply because the universe decided that we’re soulmates and that it didn’t fit what I had thought of myself and who we were together. And I’m sorry for barring you from this stupid recital that you actually care about simply because I can’t deal with the fact that I can’t tell you I feel the same way you do and that I’m fine with the fact you’re my soulmate.”

Jeffery’s eyes widened. “You feel the same way?”

Skye swallowed and could feel her face turning red.

“I do. I didn’t realize it until I actually had to confront it but I like you a lot. More than a friend should. You are always there for me and let me be myself but call me out when I need it. And I realized a soulmate doesn’t complete you but compliments you and no one else is better at that than you. I never thought about it before you, but I want you to be in my life for the rest of my life. I want to grow old with you and carry on all our inside jokes and wake every morning in your arms knowing that’s where I belong.”

Her eyes were shining and before she was aware of what was happening, Jeffery had wrapped his long arms around her and held onto her as they stood alone in the empty hallway.

“For years I imagined what would happen if we were actually soulmates, and I always reached the same conclusion that everything would fall apart and I’d be left with a broken heart,” he whispered. “It was an impossible dream that you might feel that same way. Then we turned out to actually be soulmates and I was so scared. You are the most amazing person I have ever met and I couldn’t imagine continuing my life without you as my best friend in it all.”

Skye chuckled and pulled away to look at him. “I think we’re a little more than best friends at this point, but point taken.” She then stood on her toes to peck his lips then took his hand. “C’mon. My sisters will kill me if they don’t say hi to you.”

Years later if you were to ask Skye if she believed in soulmates, you would find that a straight answer is not what you’d get. Skye would discuss the stars and possible theories behind how soulmates came to be. It was never her area of expertise but too many people discussed them for her to not have opinions.

And while she herself would never give a straight answer, the answer could be found in the ink on her arm and mirror on her husband, who was always introduced as her best friend.

You would see the way they’d laugh together and they way they knew exactly what the other needed. You could see it in the way they accepted their differences and accommodated for their partner.

You would hear their stories and if you spent enough time around them, see how they would grow and change and yet still fall into place with one another.

And if you thought too hard on it at all, you would begin to believe that somehow the universe knew which two people would fall together best and you would maybe begin to believe that soulmates are made.

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it all the way through this thing congrats! I'd give you candy but I honestly have no clue who you are. This fic was brought to you by procrastination, writing multiple version of the same scene because I forgot I had already written them, and Word which determined that I didn't use enough commas and that my use of contractions was too informal because obviously whenever I write it needs to sound like an essay and never like normal humans speaking. I also hoped you enjoyed the random memes references I put in there because I firmly believe those two are complete nerds that love where the memes come from and send memes to each other because you are not friends if you do not send memes to one another. I don't really know what else I wanted to say here although I do know that there probably was something else. Oh well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ that's what editing's for.
> 
> Also if you'd like to message or talk I'm skye-penderwick on tumblr :)


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